If you have a keen interest in furniture, fixtures, flooring, artwork, lighting, fabric and every other item that makes up the design of a hotel, HD Expo is the place to be. The leading tradeshow and conference for the hospitality design industry will take place May 2 to 4 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. In recent years the show has been growing a lot. This year’s event, as of April 27, will feature 875 exhibitors. I have attended the show for many years and it is not getting easier to walk the entire show.
Be sure to watch for reporting about the show in the coming week. When I think about the sustainability stories behind the companies at HD Expo, I think about material selection (recycled content), function and longevity, recyclability, local manufacturing, innovation, carbon impact, and wellness.
When I walk the show floor I look for signs of sustainability—certifications especially—but also language throughout the booth that shouts “green”. Sometimes it takes a bit of detective work, because some companies are good at hiding their commitment, but a little digging usually uncovers their green story. Sometimes it is not the product itself that is green but the way it was manufactured.
Crossville’s Mammoth Recycling Efforts
There has been an incredible amount of green activity in the design space in recent years. Here is one example from Crossville Inc., which will exhibiting in booth 3559:
Officials with Crossville recently announced the company recycled 23,447,883 pounds of fired porcelain in 2017, bringing the company’s cumulative recycling total to more than 114 million pounds since the 2009 launch of the Tile Take-Back program and subsequent TOTO USA recycling partnership. These recycling initiatives are based on the company’s proprietary process for recycling fired porcelain products, including post-consumer materials. Through Tile Take-Back, Crossville can recycle previously installed tile collected from its distribution network, as well as scraps that result from tile cutting during installation, sizing or sample creation. Through its TOTO partnership, Crossville receives pre-consumer fired porcelain toilets that do not meet quality standards; prior to the partnership, these cast-offs were being sent to landfills for disposal, but now they are recycled for use in manufacturing new tile.
All 114 million-plus cumulative pounds of the recycled material Crossville has diverted from landfills have been or will be introduced into the tile production process. This use of recycled material during manufacturing results in Crossville maintaining its status as a net consumer of waste for a seventh consecutive year. Net waste consumption is achieved by using more waste than is created during production.
This is just one example of a giant-size green initiative carried out throughout the year by an HD Expo exhibitor. There are many more.
NEWH Green Voice Conversations
If you are attending HD Expo, don’t miss the four NEWH Green Voice Conversations in the Social Hub and the session entitled, “Redefining Hospitality Through Social Good.” You can view the complete HD Expo conference schedule and detailed panel descriptions here.
If you happen to walk the floor of the convention center, think about the many steps MGM Resorts International has taken to reduce the efficiency of its buildings, including the just announced partnership with Invenergy that will see MGM Resorts purchase all the energy from a 100-megawatt solar project to help power its 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip.
Finally, this will be my first visit to Mandalay Bay since the mass shooting last October that saw so many killed and injured. Let’s continue to pray for the victims of this tragedy.
Green Lodging News Adds Go Green Distributors to Directory
Green Lodging News welcomes Go Green Distributors to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Food Preservation (Fresher, Longer) category. RD Fresh is an all-natural mineral mix that will remove moisture from your walk-in. This will result in a 1 to 3-degree temperature drop. By removing the moisture, compressor starts are reduced by up to 50 percent and hours of operation are reduced up to 40 percent. RD Fresh extends the life of the compressor 3 to 5 years and lowers maintenance costs by up to 50 percent. Additionally, RD Fresh removes all the volatile organic compounds; Carbon Dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen, sulfur and ethylene. By removing the ethylene, produce will last up to 50 percent longer. Produce savings is 1 percent to 3 percent of budget.
RD Fresh reduces the proliferation of mold due to the drier environment resulting in less money spent on cleaning supplies and labor. RD Fresh stops bacteria by 60 percent. RD Fresh stops the transference of food odors. The cheesecake does not end up tasting like the onion. Go Green Distributors is offering a risk free installation for 30 days at no expense. After the trial period the company works month to month, no contracts required. Call (757) 812-4909 for a free trial and receive a 10 percent discount on 2 years of service. You may also e-mail deck@gogreendistributors.com.
How to Search on Our Website
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Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2018?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2018. Many excellent spots are available on our new website, in the weekly e-mail newsletter, and Green Lodging Survey. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2018 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
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